CAN WE TALK ABOUT JOY IN GRIEF?

Surely , when you’re grieving, you’re supposed to be sad?

But here’s the thing…

Grief and joy can exist in the same heart.

You can cry for the person you’ve lost and laugh at a silly memory of

them.

You can desperately miss them and still have a day where you feel

genuinely happy.

You can feel lost and, at the same time, feel proud because you’ve made

a decision, achieved something, or taken your first step forward.

You can even feel giddy.

And that doesn’t mean you loved them any less.

It doesn’t mean you’ve “moved on”.

It doesn’t mean you’ve stopped grieving.

Sometimes that little spark of happiness is actually a moment of clarity - a reminder that, despite everything that’s happened, you are still here, still capable of making choices and still living.

And perhaps that’s why it may feel“not right - I may be judged.”

We can almost feel as though we’re betraying the person we’ve lost by

enjoying ourselves without them.

But your grief doesn’t have to be a punishment.

You don’t have to stay miserable to prove that you loved someone.

You are allowed to smile.

You are allowed to laugh.

You are allowed to feel excited.

You are allowed to have a really good day.

And if guilt creeps in afterwards, perhaps remind yourself:

“My happiness doesn’t take anything away from my grief.

My joy doesn’t take anything away from my love.”

There is room for both ❤️‍🩹

.....This post came as a result of a lady I support using the word Giddy (sharing with permission). She’d made her first significant purchase since being widowed replacing 2 armchairs for one. The giddiness was accompanied with a sense of confidence and achievement tinged with relief not having to see “an empty chair”